Chromatrope.



H. VAN ALTENA. GHROMATROPE. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 31, 1912.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

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CHROMATEOPE.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY VAN ALTENA, a citizen of the United States,and resident of New Brunswick, in the county of MiddleseX and State ofNew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inChromatropes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to chromatrope toys and its object is to providea device to be operated and to change its colors and shades with eachreversal of the disks composing the toy, as will be more fully describedin the following specification, set forth in the claims and illustratedin the drawings, .wherein,

Figure 1 is an elevation of the chromatrope. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofsame. Fig. 3 is a detail of one of the disks.

The chromatrope proper consists of two disks 5 and 6, each disk beingconstructed as shown in Fig. 3, where it will be seen that the disk isdivided into three equal parts, each bounded by an arc 7 constitutingone third of the circumference of the disk and semi-circles 8 and 9,with three sections 10, 11 and 12, being of a different primary colorand preferably yellow, blue and red.

The disks each has an eyelet 13 at its center and through which passes aring 14 so that the disks are held apart, yet are capable of rotatingupon the ring in order to change their location and to vary the colors.Each disk is supported by a washer 15, which tightly fits the ring so asto hold the disks at practically diametrically opposite points, leavingsufficient space for each disk to move independently so that the colorsmay be shifted to produce new results.

The ring at opposite sides is provided with cords or loops 16 and 17which are twisted in order to rotate the ring 14, and

after sufficient acceleration, the disks so rotate the ring that thecord is untwisted when put under strain and the reverse movement of thedisks and ring again wind the cord so that when tension is applied themovement is again reversed. As the disks thus rotate about the centerformed by the cords 16 and 17, their colors are caused to appear asrings and where one of the central sections appears at the center asshown in Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 31, 1912.

Patented Got. 15, 1212.

Serial No. 700,680.

Fig. 2, that color will appear while the ro tation takes place, theother colors appearing as composites or tints.

A convenient arrangement for operating the device is shown in Fig. 1 andconsists of a wire frame with semi-circular sides 18 to receive andpermit of the rotation of the disks, the upper part 19 of this frame isso arranged that the cord 16 may be suspended from same and the whole ismounted on a base 20, having slotted uprights 21 to re ceive the ends 22of the wire frame.

The lower cord 17 is provided with a ring 23 for the finger of theoperator so that tension may be applied to the cords to unwind them androtate the disks. The flexible nature of the wire frame tends to assistin this operation and form a very serviceable means for operating thechromatrope.

It is obvious that the parts may be otherwise modified and arrangedwithout departing from the essential features above de scribed. Thedevice may be used without the wire frame and a metal frame similarlyconstructed would be as serviceable and capable of being made in onepiece.

What I claim as new is,

1. In a chromatrope, the combination with disks divided into threecolored sections and having central perforations, of a ring passingthrough the perforations so as to carry a disk at diametrically oppositepoints, washers supporting the disks, a cord connected with the ring atone side to rotate the ring when the cord is twisted, a resilientsupport, and a cord at the oppo site side of the ring and connected withthe resilient support.

2. In a chromatrope, the combination with a ring, of colored diskscentered on the ring, washers beneath the disks, cords attached to thering, a base, a resilient frame secured to the base and carrying one ofthe cords, and a ring for the other cord.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York thistwenty-seventh day of May A. D. 1912.

HENRY VAN ALTENA.

Witnesses:

JAMES F. DUI-IAMEL, TI-IEO. H. FRIEND, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

